Last
Kiss came about when writer, John Lustig purchased the rights and artwork to
the entire run of a Charlton romance comic called First Kiss that ran
for 40 issues from 1957 to 1965. Quite a few well-known artists worked on First
Kiss including Dick Giordano and Vince Colletta but for the most part, art
credits were not common. Lustig has put his own spin on the romance genre with
Last Kiss by putting his own words in the mouths of romance genre
protagonists. The result is hilarious.

Last
Kiss #1
is a departure for Lustig because he attempts story-length parodies. “Martha
Stewtart…Domestic Superhero!” was my favorite of the bunch. In it an inept
housewife gains the power of super-domesticity by swimming in an irradiated
lake. If you hadn’t already guessed, comic book references play a large part
in Lustig’s humor so even if you’re not well versed in the romance genre
you’ll definitely get it.

In
addition to the stories and cover parodies, Lustig also treats us to a short
interview he did with prolific Charlton Comics writer, Joe Gill. As chance
would have it Gill wrote almost the entire run of First Kiss. We’re
even treated to a complete romance story from First Kiss #3 most likely
penned by Gill.

Some
of the first comics I read as a kid were Charlton Romance comics so it’s no
surprise that I loved Last Kiss #1. I’ve been enjoying Lustig’s Last
Kiss strips in the Comics Buyer’s Guide and being treated to 48
pages of his twisted sense of humor was worth the bucks.

You
should still be able to find this on your local comic shop’s shelves. If
not, write to Shanda Fantasy Arts, P.O. Box 545, Greenbrier, AK 72058 and
request a catalog. You can also see a few samples of Last Kiss at www.lastkisscomics.com.